Braking and locking apparatus for a movable or rolling container

Abstract

A rolling container assembly has a braking and locking system including a pair of locking levers on shafts positioned to engage opposite sides of a fixed anchor. The locking levers are releasable by separate control levers. Braking spikes are arranged on a pair of further shafts, and are inclined downwardly from their respective shafts and toward the center of the container. Lost motion rods intercouple the locking lever with the braking spikes, so that the braking spikes may be rotated to vertical positions independently of the respective locking levers. The shafts through which the braking spikes are connected are also coupled by a lever, whereby the braking spikes simultaneously rotate in opposite senses.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a movable container assembly having a pair of locking levers positioned to cooperate with a fixed anchor, and a pair of pivoted braking spike means for inhibiting movement of said container assembly; the improvement comprising control means operatively connected to each end of said assembly, means coupling said control means to directly operate a respective one of said locking levers for releasing the respective locking lever, lost motion means coupling each control means to control a separate one of said braking spike means, said container assembly having a chassis with a bottom plate, and further comprising first and second pairs of parallel shafts, means mounting said shafts symmetrically under said bottom plate, and means connecting one of said spike means to a separate shaft of each pair of shafts, whereby said spike means extend downwardly and toward the center of said assembly from each end thereof, a separate one of said locking levers being connected to each of the other shafts of said pairs of shafts, said lost motion means comprising lost motion lever means coupling the shafts of each pair of shafts. 
     
     
       2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shaft of each pair of shafts to which said spike means are connected is located closer to the end of said container assembly than the other shaft of the respective pairs of shafts. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of claim 1, comprising control lever means at each end of said assembly, said control means comprising means positively connecting each of said control lever means to rotate a separate other shaft of said pairs of shafts. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising lever means positively intercoupling the shaft means of each pair of shaft means to which spike means are connected, whereby said spike means are simultaneously pivoted in opposite directions. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising means for resiliently biasing each of said locking levers to a stop position, and means for resiliently biasing each of said spike means to a braking position. 
     
     
       6. In a braking and locking system for a movable or rolling container for use in aircraft, wherein said container has a bottom plate, two pairs of braking spikes mounted to inhibit movement of said container in opposite directions, and first and second locking levers positioned to cooperate with fixed anchor means for inhibiting movement of the container, the improvement comprising two pairs of parallel symmetrically positioned shafts mounted under said bottom plate, each pair of shafts including a first shaft and a second shaft, means coupling each of said first and second locking levers to the first shaft of a separate pair of said shafts, means connecting each pair of braking spikes to the second shaft of a separate pair of shafts, a separate control lever means at each end of said container, means coupling each of said control lever means to a separate first shaft of said pairs of shafts, whereby said locking levers may be independently and separately released from said anchor means and said container may be moved in the direction of the respective end of said container on which the control lever means is mounted, said braking spikes being mounted on the respective shafts in a direction to extend downwardly and toward the center of said container, and control rod means coupling the first and second shafts of each pair of shafts, whereby said braking spikes are rotatable with their respective shafts upon actuation of said control lever means, said rod means comprising lost motion means, whereby said braking spikes may be pivotally moved to substantially vertical positions without accompanying rotary motion of the respective corresponding locking levers. 
     
     
       7. The braking and locking system of claim 6, further comprising lever means intercoupling said second shafts of said pairs of shafts, for rotation in opposite relative directions, whereby said pairs of braking spikes are simultaneously rotatable in opposite directions. 
     
     
       8. The braking and locking system of claim 6, wherein said container has a double wall, said means coupling said control lever means extending between the walls of said double wall. 
     
     
       9. The braking and locking system of claim 6, further comprising means for actuating all of said braking spikes and locking levers from any one end of said container.